Black Clover: Chaos Rise (SYOC)
by ZylerZodiac
Summary: (SYOC Open) The Clover Kingdom, a Kingdom of magic and adventure, but also danger and criminals. And so, the fate of this kingdom lies within the Magic Knights, their Captains, and their Magic Emperor. But will you have what it takes to join the Magic Knights? Will heroes arise? And will you be able to handle...the rise of Chaos?
1. Chapter 1

Heyo everyone! Sorry I have been away for a bit, summer got a bit hectic for me and I had a lot going on, and then classes started and there was a lot going on, but now things have settled so I thought I would start off my return with a new fic!

ANd because high powered magic battles are epic, here it is! A Black Clover SYOC! However, here is the thing. This is an alternate timeline for our own stories. A number of characters will remain the same, such as all the Magic Squad Captains, and others, but it will be our story! So hope you enjoy!

Also, Disclaimer. I do not own anything of the Black Clover Franchise, I just love it a lot, especially high powered magic battles. Episode 84 of the anime was especially awesome!

* * *

**Black Clover SYOC: Chaos Rise**

"No, please! Let me go! Please!"

A young boy pleaded, with no shoes or clothes, as he was locked inside a dark dank room, with no way out. He couldn't even see, and on his hands and knees, pleaded at the door despite there being no responses. He had been kidnapped and abused. On his naked body were scars, not done by professionals, but clearly done by someone who did not mind the subject being in pain. All of them needless. All of them hurt.

His tears pounded the floor as he wept and wept, unable to control himself. All they ever did was treat him like an animal, after all. They were just using him, and they were evil people who could not be any form of innocent. This lone child was not the only one either, there were others. Most of them were either dead or unconscious though, but all of them were treated as cattle, not even allowed rags to wear or a dedicated toilet. And at the top of the room was a magic crystal being used to monitor them all.

It was so dark in the room, that no one could see each other. ANd everyone was either too hurt, too afraid, or too broken to talk to each other. The kid who usually lit up the room with fire magic was not here either.

_"I can help you...if you help me"._

"Huh...who said that...a new voice?"

_"Not quite...I am not in the room with you, but as a result, I can help you...but, in exchange, I want you to do something for me"._

_This voice...its in my head?_

_"You catch on quick, good. You are one of those smart protagonists then..."_

_Eh? A protagonist? That's a weird way of putting it...but, what do you mean you can help me?_

_"I can give you what you want...but in exchange, you have to help me get what I want"._

_Please! Please! I will do anything!_

_"Very good...little boy, your purity of heart shall be tested, but I am sure you will be capable of great things". _

* * *

Five years later...

"Ahhh, this air is so nice" a short boy with ash colored hair said, his red eyes sparkling like rubies as he walked through the morning sun. He was standing only at 138cm, and so could be mistaken as a boy walking to school. However, in a special pouch on his side held a Grimoire that was the same color as his hair. It was decorated with a fancy border, a humanoid figure pushing his hand outward in front of him, with lighter grey detailing, and intrinsic lines that appeared to be decorative.

He was wearing some sturdy black walking boots, white socks, black shorts, a grey T shirt, and a black cloak with gold detailing. His clothes looked fairly nice, but not that lavish. But what was probably notable was the pouch of gold that was hanging from his belt. And this boy was walking on his own on a road towards a city in the common realm, a city where the Magic Knight exams would take place.

And then, it was in that instant that four people jumped out from behind the tree lines, as the blossoms fell to the ground in the early morning view.

"Well now, if it isn't some noble brat out for a stroll".

"Stupid nobles, always thinking they are better then us!"

"Give us your money! In fact, give us everything!"

"You are only some childish brat! Dont think you can beat us all! Besides, you probably deserve a good humiliation and can afford this anyways! If you beg, we wont sell your body to someone more...picky about what they desire".

At those words, the boy blushed a little as they were starting to annoy him.

"Come on, lil shota noble!"

As the one from behind went to grab him, right as he would have, the boy disappeared from sight.

"Wha…"

"What the hell did you just call me?" the boy said, sounding a bit annoyed and flustered. They looked up, and saw that he was standing in the sky...no, he was floating, or even flying. They definently wouldn't be able to hit him with their swords at that height, so they all brought out their own Grimoires.

However, the boy swiped his finger across the area they were in, and the area exploded later. He then formed two fingers and thrust them upwards, and all four of them began to fly into the sky. He then thrust his fingers back down, and slammed them back into the ground as well.

"The hell...what the hell kind of magic is that?! A grimoire?! How does a brat like you have a Grimoire already?!"

"How about you just shut up you filthy bandit!"

And so, unleashing another large scale attack, the boy defeated all of the bandits.

"And for the record, I am a commoner".

And so, he proceeded to clean up.

* * *

And so, later on, at the registration for the Magic Knight Exam...

"Uhhhh..."

"I am here to register for the Magic Knight exam! Oh, and these are some bandits I found along the way and dragged here! Do I get any extra credit for that?" the boy asked, his eyes sparkling with innocence.

"Umm...well..."

"Wait...I didn't do anything bad, did I?" the boy said, suddenly getting all blushed and shy. The man was not sure what to do. He could tell the boy was earnest and honest, but also a bit shy and awkward. He was cute and a bit boyish. But...was he really old enough?

Then again, all one needed was a Grimoire. Grimoires were only given to those who turned fifteen, with only a few special exceptions. And those exceptions were more then capable of joining the Magic Knights, or were otherwise taken by other organizations and wouldn't be there.

"Its...its fine…" the man said. "I just...need your name, and place of Origin".

"Ex, from Frankfer Town".

"Ex...your a commoner?" he said, looking at the multiple pouches of gold he had with him.

"I saved up a lot" he said, a bit nervously, as he unconsciously pushed the unconscious bandit to the side. The man was getting very mixed readings from the boy...

"Right, Ex from Frankfer Town...applicant number 242. Please head inside".

"Thank you!"

And so, he ran into the stadium, and the awaiting exam to become a Magic Knight.

* * *

Here are a few ground rules for submissions:

1: YOu have to favorite/follow the story.

2: You have to title the submission "Black Clover SYOC - CharacterName - Magic Attribute - Age", only properly replacing the various sections with details from your character.

3: It has to make some reasonable sense. (Like, they had to actually had some reason to join the Magic Knights, some drive or desire to be one)

4: Your magic has to have a reasonable strengths and weaknesses.

5: Use common sense, and make the characters interesting and engaging.

And now, here is the sheet:

Name:

Nicknames:

Gender:

Age:

Appearance: (Be descriptive)

Outfits/Accessories:

Magic Affinity:

Magical Spells:

Inventory:

Skills:

Hobbies:

Likes:

Dislikes:

Quirks:

Quotes: (Optional)

Background:

Personality Traits: (Just list them, like "Brave, Cunning, Adventurerous, Shy, ect")

Family:

Secrets: (Must have at least two, or one really good one)

Plot points: (Optional)

Other: (Optional)


	2. Chapter 2: The Magic Knight Exam

**Chapter 2: The Magic Knight Exam**

Averice Guile, of the Noble Guile House, looked around at the various comings and goings of the new applicants, here for the Magic Knight exam such as himself. Rumor had it that all of the Squad Captains would be here this time, a rare and lucky find, as it increased the chances of being chosen. Furthermore, it looked like there was quite a few weak young peasants that had decided to join in, despite their apparent lack of ability. Many of them shorter then most, likely from the Forsaken Region since they could not get proper nourishment. A few even shorter and younger looking then the rest. ANd one of them stood out to him clear as day. A boy with ash colored hair, and ruby red eyes that sparkled with innocence and cheer.

"Well now, he should make a great sacrifice for the final part of the exam" he mentioned.

There was also a woman with golden hair and golden eyes, carrying around a golden colored Grimoire. She practically radiated elegance, and most of the men were immediately attracted to her.

There was also another young boy with snow white hair and silver eyes, carrying a pure white Grimoire. He was more lightly dressed then most, wearing just shorts, a T shirt, and shoes and socks.

And along with them was a boy with black hair and black eyes, carrying a blue Grimoire. He was dressed nicely, but by commander standards.

Another female among them was a woman with dark ginger hair and silver-blue eyes, appearing both attractive and majestic.

Adding the red haired boy with the Red Grimoire, who also had red eyes. Such a person...without a doubt, he used some form of Fire Magic. However, he also had a rod in a special sheath at his hip. And he appeared to be the youngest looking of them all.

Either way, it was quite the gathering.

However, something of special note was the appearance of strange Birds that tended to flock around everyone.

"What are these things?"

"I think they are called Anti-Birds. Basically, the stronger someone's mana, the more likely they are to ignore you, so it helps the Captains decide who has sufficient mana to join".

Ex looked around the field, and saw as one of the Anti-Birds landed on his shoulder, and stared at him. However, it was the only one, as the others seemed to avoid him like the plague.

"Heyo buddy. What is your name?"

It didn't respond however, just stared at him instead, and then his Grimoire.

_Wait, is this bird...no, I have to be imagining it..._

"Welcome one, welcome all, to the start of the Magic Knight Selection Exam!" an announcer called out to the crowds. After that, he began explaining the various purposes and stages of the exam.

The exam was pretty simple. It tested magical control, ability, and so on. Although Ex was not that good with making the seed grow, his ability to fly exceeded that of the others, and his magical accuracy was pretty decent. And so, breezing by the other challenges, it finally came down to the combat trial.

And among the people there, one of them immediately looked over at Ex.

_He seems pretty good, but he is still a child. I had best take him as my partner. That way, no one else will take advantage of him. Then, I can show my reasoning and logic skills to the other captains, prevent anyone from seriously injuring or killing a child, and if he wont back down, ill just show off a bit, carefully._

"Hey, kid. What is your name again?"

"My name is Ex. And you?"

"Colton Vruka. I will be your challenger".

Ex looked at him with delight, although one thing nagged at him a little.

_Is he choosing me because he is older then me and thinks he can beat me easily? Well, im not sure, so I better play nice. Still, I do need to put up a good enough of a show to get chosen._

"Alright, sure!"

And so, the two went and registered each other as their opponent.

The first couple of battles were fairly soso, with no one in particular standing out. At least, that was how it was at first, until the dark ginger haired girl came up.

"Beast Creation Magic: Amberblaze Spinal!"

She created a powerful magical beast all of a sudden. Her opponent attempted to counter with a storm of wind blades, but her magic beast tore right through it and immediately pinned him to the ground, roaring greatly. It seemed pretty good, however...the contestant was severely injured. He didn't die, but...it was quite overwhelming.

"The winner is Naeva Sylphias!"

She then walked off stage while medical mages carried her opponent off, and then the next two pairs were called.

"And now, the next two who will be in the exam: Ex and Colton Vruka! And on the other side, Crimson and Averice Guile!"

First up, Ex and Colton looked at each other, Grimoire's out and ready.

"You sure you dont want to back out right now kid? This is not some game or playground".

"I am sure!" he said, sounding a bit nervous but passionate.

"Fine then, I guess I will just have to make you understand...Ice Magic: Frozen Wasteland!"

As he turned the ground to ice, Ex immediately flew up into the air with ease.

_As expected, based on his flying skills I saw earlier, he can clearly fly easily and with eas...did he just did a backflip? In the middle of a battle? ALright brat, have it your way..._

"Take this!" he said as he launched several ice shards. Ex spun his body around though, and it seemed that waves of energy formed in the air and brushed the ice away. He then launched a huge amount of energy blasts right at Colton, all bending and twisting and coming from different directions. He immediately realized blocking would be useless, and used his ice magic to move himself around quickly and out of the attacks, riding a sort of ice wave. Ex fired a few more, doing damage to the ice that it hit.

"Hehe, isn't this fun?" he said, giving Colton a bad vibe. "Lets try this now!"

He then launched another barrage of attacks, this time in the shape of blades. He had to duck, dodge, and weave in order to avoid them, and make sure he didn't caught up in any debris that was made.

He launched some giant ice shards, using his natural element manipulation and not actually any spell as of yet. However, he put a lot of force and power into it, and forced Ex to dodge for a change instead of intercepting.

_As expected...it appears he has some kind of limit to how much he can intercept. Furthermore, all of his attacks, he always makes some sort of body motion for them. Wait, could it be..._

Yami, who was watching all of this, nodded. "It looks like blondie finally figured out what the boy's attribute is".

Indeed, the man looked right at the boy.

"Your attribute...its quite unique isn't it? Force, or perhaps Energy? Its basically the same though, right?"

"Indeed. I am a bit surprised you were able to figure it out so easily" he said with a smile, as his body position changed. it now looked like he was lying down on the ground, only floating in the sky instead.

At this point, Colton made a serious revelation, as did the boy.

_This kid...no, this guy..._

_This guy..._

_...is strong! (x2)_

Yes, the two recognized each other's strengths.

"Looks like they are about to get serious finally" Fugellion mentioned.

"Agreed" Yami mentioned.

Ex then took out some sort of rod, but when he poured magic power into it he extended it into a staff. He then cast a spell as he swung it around his body.

"Force Magic: Swirling Blades of the Seraphim!"

"Ice Creation Magic: Ice Wall!"

Colton however not only dodged, but he created a wall at the place he was doding too in order to deal with any attacks that were held back. A few came from above though, but he intercepted them with basic ice attacks. His timing seemed to be outstanding, as he was able to intercept each and every attack perfectly. That said, the fact the boy was remaining in the air meant that his Frozen Wasteland spell had no effect on him, nor did a few other spells he had available. He was too high up.

"Force Creation Magic: Moving Golem!"

Suddenly, he sent a blast of energy into the ground, and as a result a golem rose from it.

_I see...so this kid can animate objects and materials already there with his magic. Still, two can play at this_ game...

"Ice Creation Magic: Frozen Wolf Howling!"

"Oooooh, an ice wolf huh?" Ex asked with sparkling eyes. "Well then! Force Magic: Overhwhelming Force!"

He then fired a huge barrage of attacks against his opponent and his summon while covering his golem's offensive charge.

_Does this kid just have nearly limitless mana or something? He summoned a Golem and has a large scale attack spell active at once!_

Ex meanwhile launched attack after attack, making use of his large mana supply and ability to rapidly recover mana. Still...this was exhausting, even for him, but if the enemy saw him like nothing was wrong at all, it would make his opponent think twice about any move they made.

However, despite finding his lack of apparent exhaustion strange, he did not hold back and continued to defend and block.

"Seems ill have to kick it up a notch. Force Magic: Ascendent Decent!"

Suddenly, huge amounts of attacks came flying down from the sky as well.

_The hell is this kid?! Some sort of monster?!_

"Uh oh" Ex said, blushing a little bit. "...did I go too far?"

He asked this as all of his attacks hit at once. The golem, the barrage, and the blades from the sky...all of them. Their combined impact put up a huge smoke cloud. However, when it finally dissipated...there was a shattered ice dome, and he was lying down on the ground.

"No way...even that huge defensive wall could not stop the attacks?"

"Will that man be okay?"

"That kid went totally overboard".

Colton couldn't help but muse over what he heard.

_No, that's not it. My ice dome successfully protected against all the attacks, but...it used up so much mana at once, especially since I used my most powerful summon before that, it sent my body into shock...ahhh, well I guess it couldn't be helped. I treated him like a kid, not a fellow examine. Still, just because I lost the fight doesn't mean I wont be chosen. After all, we had a great performance...though, we might have scared some of the Captains off with what we did today..._

Meanwhile, on the other side of the arena...

"So, you ready to play?" Crimson asked. He seemed very much like his age, his expressions childlike and playful, even with his pure red Grimoire out.

"Ha...once I show off by wiping that stupid smile off your face, that will show you what you need to become a Magic Knight" Averice Guile mumbled to himself, as he raised up his own Grimoire.

"Steel Creation Magic: Steel Soldier Army!"

Suddenly, a number of Steel Warriors came out of the ground and towards Crimson.

"Alright then!" Crimson said as he opened his Grimoire. "Lets do this, Red Reaper!"

Then, fire spewed out of the book as he pulled a weapon from it. Red Reaper, a scythe that had a crimson red handle. He then bent down, and shot himself right towards the army while swinging the blade, cutting them as if they were paper people.

"Impossible...Steel should be effective against flames! Steel Creation Magic! Steel Lance!"

"Flashfire!"

Suddenly, Crimson seemed to burn up almost instantly, but then appeared behind Averice.

_Impossible...a flame movement spell?!_

He quickly deflected with another steel lance, but it got cut in half in the process. Crimson did a little backflip in the air, and then pushed off the ground and came towards him.

"Steel Cannon!"

"Flashfire!"

"Steel Cage!"

"Flame Magic: Spark Nova!"

He threw out red sparks from his hand, and wherever they impacted, huge flame explosions occurred. He released them as he dodged the cage that tried to form around him, landing once again on his feet.

_What the hell is he? A cat? He can freely use that flame movement spell as well..._

"Steel Magic: Steel Archers!"

"Flame Magic: Mother's Warmth!"

Steel arrows tried to hit him, but a flame cloak overlapped with his black jacket, and deflected them all as he went for Averice.

"No...no, stay back you filthy commoner!"

"Time to say goodnight!" he shouted as he slammed his scythe into the man's head, knocking him out. He then landed on the ground, and displayed a V symbol using his hand to signify victory. And yet...their entire half of the stage was totally damage. It was to the point of being ridiculous, and most of that was from Crimson's attacks.

_It looks like he can use mana to reinforce his physical abilities greatly...but he lacks control._

_Someone that unrefined...would be a dangerous addition..._

_He is quite...eager, I will give him that..._

_For a boy, I suppose he did well enough._

_Hmmm...I think I will let Yami take that one as well. _

The Captains all had their various ideas.

Still, they had other contestants to examine, so they moved on to the next pair. It looked like Blue Rose was mostly uninterested with this group,

_In terms of this year, there is a lot of good candidates. After all, their power sure is great. However...the other captains are probably getting turned away from of few of those recent guys..._ a old female observer...or rather, the disguised Wizard King Julius, thought to himself. _Yami will at least recruit those three, but the others probably wont. Crimson's magic...its not normal flame magic, is it? Its some sort of special flame, but he was way too destructive. As for the other two...Ex uses Force Magic, but...the other Captains probably noticed it. How unrefined his Force Magic was. It has so much more potential then what we saw, and yet he has yet to realize and make use of it. On top of that, it looks like he is bad at pacing himself, and he caused a ton of damage to the arena as well. And then there is Colton Vruka. He seemed the most stable of the lot, and showed good analytical skills. But he was overpowered by Ex who has yet to reach his true potential. His ice magic was good, very strong even, but the fact is he didn't get to stand out as much. Most likely, Yami will take these three at least, but none of the other captains will. Wait, make that at least four, if you include that person._

And so, as the other matches finished, it was time for the results. For awhile, no one raised their hands, but then the golden woman came up, and the Golden Dawn raised their hand. It appeared her name was Alicia Goldwin.

Then it came time for Naeva. As expected, only Yami raised his hand. After that, someone from the Green Mantis raised their hand for some guy named Sekke, while no one raised their hands for Averice Guile. After that, a boy named Rune was accepted by Fugellion, and a girl named Daisy was accepted by Blue Rose.

And then, Crimson came up. As the Wizard King expected, only Yami raised his hand.

One after another they came up, till it was Ex's turn. And as for him...only Yami raised his hand, which actually surprised a few people. This was because Yami had never before taken so many new recruits. It fact, it was entirely unprecedented for him to raise his hand for this many from the exam before, which made a few people nervous.

_What is he thinking?_

_Does he see something we dont?_

_This is too much, even for him..._

_Does he know something that we dont?_

Meanwhile, Yami just let loose a little smile.

_How does that feeling of uncertainty stick with you? Ahhh, this is fun...besides, these guys seem capable anyways._

And then, Colton Vruka came up. And again, only Yami raised his hand, but Colton half expected that from the display earlier. Still, even he was intrigued by Yami going after so many new members in one event, which he knew was unnatural.

Either way, as the results were still being finalized, Ex ended up drifting away somewhere, wanting to get out of the spotlight for a bit. After finding a hideaway, he made sure no one else was around.

"Well, I think that worked out well" Ex said to himself as he stepped into an isolated area, looking at his Grimoire. The three leaf clover showing elegantly on the cover.

_"You did well, Ex-chan" _a voice inside his head spoke up. _"Though, you might have showed off a bit too much"._

"Well, its fine right? I was pushing myself to my limit sure, but it should have still been within human limits...and I dont think anyone has quite figured out what I did yet" Ex mentioned, as he tapped his Grimoire, and it suddenly changed. The three leaf clover turned into a five leaf clover, and his Grimoire turned a little more white. "Besides, it was important that I did enough to join a Magic Knight Squad, though I only ended up becoming a Black Bull...I suppose I should have done more?"

_"Well, I am sure everything will be fine. That Magic Squad doesn't seem to get much attention, so while in some ways it could be a bit of a bother, it does have its uses"._

Ex then redid the illusion, and his Grimoire turned back into a three leaf Grimoire.

"And so...my adventure starts now" he mentioned, as an Anti-Bird flew behind him.

* * *

**Post Chapter Report:**

Crimson, Ex, Colton, and Naeva accepted into Black Bulls.

Deciding factors in the battle between Ex and Colton:

Neither really taking it seriously at the start.

Ex flying from the very start of the battle and using long ranged attacks.

His constantly moving around and aerial advantage.

And in other notes...

Alicia Goldwin is accepted into Golden Dawn.

Rune was accepted by Crimson Lions.

Ex is followed by an Anti-Bird despite his abundance of mana.

Ex is revealed to have a five clover Grimoire, and is in contact with a mysterious entity.

Ex uses some sort of Force Magic. It appears to be an offshoot of Spacial Magic in some way.

Crimson uses Flame Magic.

Naeva uses Beast Creation Magic.

Colton uses Ice Magic.

The Wizard King appeared.

Thought I would put this up, seemed like a fun idea. Let me know in the reviews if you want to keep this style for every chapter, or if I should hold off on it. Anyways, hope you enjoyed!


	3. Chapter 3: The Black Bulls

**Chapter 3: The Black Bulls**

"There you are. Dont wander off before we get to the base" Yami mentioned with a terrifying glare in his eyes.

"Hiiii...yes sir!" Ex replied.

"Good...err, what was your name again?"

"Ex, Sir!" Ex shouted, standing up straight. It looked like Yami terrified him quite a bit, but he was also standing in a weird way. He clearly did not know how to greet a superior properly.

"Right, that's enough. Finral? Take us to the Black Bulls Base".

"Got it, Captain!" Finral responded, as he opened up a portal with Spacial Magic for everyone. They all went through, and instantly found themselves at the Black Bull base. Crimson burst out forward, walking towards the door...when it exploded.

"What the hell do you mean, you stole my pudding Luck?! I will thrash you!" a female fire mage screamed at a young boy with lightning boots who was zapping around all over the place.

"Yeah yeah! Just try and get me Mireal-neechan!"

"You are going to get it this time!"

"Uhg, could you all be any louder?" a woman in a witch hat asked.

"Fuuuuuuuueee" a large man let out.

"Cant you two keep it down!" a dark orange haired girl with golden eyes screamed out, while petting some sort of strange beast.

"Omnomnom" were the noises a smallish girl was making as she was eating a large amount of food.

Looking at them all, Ex, Colton, Naeva, and even Crimson had some concerns about this Squad.

"You all..." Yami mentioned, with his angry rising. "STOP BREAKING EVERYTHING!"

As he yelled that though, he smashed the wall behind him.

Eventually, he got everyone to stand up in an orderly line and greet the new recruits. That said, he delegated the task to Finral.

"Alright, so this is Gray. He is kinda hard to figure out, but he is good people. And this here is Luck. He is a battle maniac, but he is good people. Over there is Mireal. She can be a bit of a hot head, but she is good people. Then there is Charmy. She eats a lot, but she is good people. Over there is Veronia. She likes kids a bit too much, but she is good people".

"Hey cuties. Ill show you the baths later" she said with a wink. Immediately, Crimson and Ex sensed that they should be wary of this person in particular.

"...but that mainly only becomes an issue when she gets into drinking contests with Vanessa. Like today. Anyways, over there is Gauche. He loves his sister a bit too much, but he is good people. And then there is Vanessa. She gets into fights when she drinks, but she is good people. And then there is me, Finral the ladiesman! And of course, this is our esteemed Captain Yami!"

_No he is good people? _x4

"Anyways, there are others that are either on mission or somewhere else, but we can get to them later".

As Ex walked in though, he felt a wave of energy hit him.

_Hold on...is this entire building filled with mana? Despite how it might look, its surprisingly well fortified...although it feels strange..._

"Now, nerbies, introduce yourselves".

"My name is Ex, and I come from Patsa!"

"My name is Crimson, and im a nomad!"

"My name is Colton Vruka, from a mountain village".

_He isn't a noble?_

_He's not a noble?_

_I totally thought he was a noble!_

"My name is Naeva Sylphias, and I come from a small trade city on the border of the Clover Kingdom!"

"Anyways, everyone, make sure you dont kill the newbies".

"You forgot about me" a man with blonde hair and red eyes spoke up.

"Ahh! Dont startle me like that...anyways, yeah. This is Kareem Obsidian. He is kinda hard to notice at times and hard to read, but he is good people".

"Well then" Mireal said, a smile going across her face. "Sounds like its time for a Baptism".

"...dont kill them" Yami mentioned. Meanwhile, the other four seemed a bit put off.

"As far as I am aware, there is no official test or such one has to take past the Magic Knights Exam" Colton replied.

"Baptism? I dont think I have ever had one!" Crimson shouted with innocent cheer.

"Im...im a bit nervous" Ex mentioned.

"Sounds interesting! I am curious!" Naeva mentioned.

"Colton, Ex, show some more backbone!"

"Eh?"

"Seriously?"

"First off, everyone, take off your shirts and emit as much mana as you can!"

"Wait..why do we have to..."

"Its part of the process, so just do it newbie!"

"Eek! Alright!"

Everyone followed through. Thankfully Naeva was wearing something under her shirt, but now everyone had taken them off. And then, one by one, they were told to radiate their mana.

Ex was rather well endowed with mana, though he seemed to lack any real muscle. His mana did seem both chaotic and refined however. Given his age, it was not that odd.

Crimson was the same body type, but his mana itself seemed to heat the air around them, making everyone else want to strip. His mana was like a firey warmth that heated everything else, which was a bit unusual even for a flame magic user.

Naeva's magic was more stable, and it seemed to persist even after leaving her body.

And Colton's mana was more solid, not just persisting but even just seeming more solid then normal. It was as if it was ready to turn to ice in an instant. Notably, it was even clashing with Crimson's mana quite a bit.

"Very good, now...get to the ground and give me one hundred pushups!"

"Eh?"

"Do it now!"

"Aye!"

And so, after one brutal gym challenge later...

"And now, its time for the final test. Using all of your magical ability, you must dodge or defend against my magic!"

"Wait, eh?"

"And dont worry, I got enough for everyone!"

And then, she launched off four fire attacks at them all at the same time.

"Ice Creation Magic: Ice Wall".

"Fire Creation Magic: Red Reaper!"

"Beast Creation Magic: Fireswallowing Bugs!"

Colton made an Ice Wall to block, it, making it extra thick to account for the heal. Crimson created his scythe, and blocked it with that, absorbing the flames with the scythe. And Naeva created a swarm of bugs that swallowed the fire.

As for Ex, he quickly thought through all the spells he had at his disposal. The attack was so sudden, he barely had time to get ready. He considered everything, but then fire would hit him square in the face and hurt if he tried to blast it, or set his clothes on fire, or something no good like that. And so, he instinctively went with a spell he had wanted to keep in reserve...

"Counterforce!"

ANd he swung two fingers across as he cast his magic, which caused the fire attack to suddenly go the opposite direction, back at the caster.

"Eh?"

And then she seemed to explode.

Finral meanwhile put down his Grimoire.

"Its been a long time since we didn't have to save a newbie".

Yami just starred at that though.

_He can counter the very force of a spell? Interesting tactic, but...he didn't use it against Colt. THat could be for many reasons, but if I had to guess...its possibly the inherit weakness of it, or maybe he didn't want to publisize it out in the open? If everyone knows he has it, then it is easily counterable. All they would have to do is use large scale attacks. Especially considering..._

Yami looked and noticed the minor scorching of the tree behind Ex.

_Its width appears to be limited._

He figured that Ex wasn't able to counter the full spell, but only the center of it. He wondered if there was some sort of retriction on it or something.

And then...

"So, Mireal, you still alive?"

"Of course I am damnit! I managed to dispel my magic at the last minute" she said, walking out of the flame explosion. "But that does not change the fact that I nearly got offed by my own magic!"

She then stormed up to Ex, and looked really annoyed.

"That was freaking awesome!"

But apparently, she wasn't.

"How did you do that anyways?!"

"Ah...its a bit tricky to use, but I used my counterforce spell. I am a Force Mage, for lack of a better word".

"Seriously? That's freaking cool! As for the rest of you, that was some awesome magic as well! Vanessa?"

Vanessa then used her magic, and gave them all Black Bull robes.

"Anyways, its time to get you situated in your rooms!"

"Umm, about that..." Veronia mentioned. "Half of the newbie wing is missing, along with their rooms. But its okay, I will just have those two sleep in my bed with me. I will make sure to keep them warm".

Both Ex and Crimson shivered, and got concerned.

"Exactly how did someone like that become a magic knight?!" they both asked in unison.

"Ah, well, you see...she is actually a Senior Magic Knight, Fifth Grade".

""EHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH?!""

"As for how, if it wasn't for her...eccentric, personality, despite being a commoner she would have easily been accepted into the Golden Dawn. After all, when she was fifteen, right after getting her Grimoire, she saved an entire school of young children from a bandit attack who wanted to take them hostage to make their parents, both nobles and commoners, pay. So she got pretty popular and liked from that. Of course they noticed her personality, so only Yami accepted her into the magic knights. But since then, she has repeatedly saved schools, or even just towns and cities, from overwhelming attacks, though I am pretty sure it was just to safeguard the children in those towns and cities".

Ex and Crimson could not help but twitch a little after hearing that. After all, they had heard of the famous "Mage of Justice" that goes around saving children. But...they didn't think she was doing it because she was a shotacon.

It destroyed their image of one of the famous heroic mages they had heard about that protected the people, noble, commoner, or even those from the Forsaken Realm.

"I think there should be three rooms left though, right?"

"Two. One of them is occupied by the Marie Collection".

"Well, then maybe...

""We will share a room!"" Ex and Crimson decided at the same time. Neither wanted to even entertain the idea of a moment longer of being with that person.

"Well, that should be fine. Colton can get the last room, and Naeva should be able to find a room in the woman's quarters, provided parts of that are not missing either".

"Erm...why are they missing anyways?"

"Ah, sometimes the base moves around. You will get used to it".

And so, with all of that settled, and all of them given black bull robes, everything was decided...sort of?

They had said they would share a room, but...the bed was small, and neither of them had spare clothes to sleep in. Ex was about to ask Crimson what to do, but Crimson had already taken off all of his clothes, even his underwear.

"What? We cant stay up too late! We cant oversleep for our first day as magic knights!"

Crimson seemed totally unphased at all.

"But...ummm…"

"Now dont be shy! We are both boys, rookies, and magic knights! Now, get out of those clothes and lets get to bed!" Crimson said, his face full of innocence and obliviousness. And so, after a minor struggle, Crimson pulled them both into the bed, and where they slept really close together. The shy Ex only ended up sleeping after he passed out from his own shyness.

And as he slept, he had a dream. But it was not a normal dream.

He was standing there, naked, as clouds passed by. He got embarrassed again, as a spark of light came down.

"I am surprised you still get embarrassed after all this time".

"Its just...everything is so new...im easily flustered when I am not used to something".

"Right...well, at least you are good now, E..."

Ex then put his finger on his mouth.

"Don't use my real name. I am not sure if anyone here has the ability to divine things yet".

"Fair enough. That Yami person...he looks simple and dumb, but I can tell. He is one of the Sharper Captains".

"The one I am most concerned about..."

"Is that woman who was having various inappropriate thoughts about you?"

"Yes!"

"Either way, our agreement is still moving forward. Progress has been made towards both of our goals".

"Right...is there anything specific you want me to do?"

"For now, act as a Magic Knight. And focus on evolving your powers. Just make sure you know how to explain any ability you gain that is not force".

"Yeah...I know. Anything else?"

"There are a few people in the house I would recommend keeping an eye on, with one of the big ones having to be the Captain of course. But also...Charmy and Gray".

"Right..."

"Well, I will let you sleep now. Just keep improving for now, and of course, stay safe".

"As safe as I can be as a Magic Knight".

And so, Ex fell into a deep slumber with normal dreams.

* * *

The next day...

"Thanks for the new clothes, Vanessa-neechan" Ex mentioned as they walked down the hall.

"You can just call me Vanessa, boys. No problem. After I sobered up a little, I realized you two came in with nothing but the clothes on your back and a few pouches, so I figured you might need some spare threads. Did you manage to sleep alright?"

"We slept just fine!" Crimson said with an innocent smile and giving Vanessa a thumbs up.

"By the way, you have Grimoires, but are you really fifteen?"

Ex, who seemed a bit flustered, just nodded sheepishly.

"Sorta!" Crimson said.

"Sorta? What does that mean? People don't get Grimoires till their fifteen, you know?"

"Well, I kinda got mine because of my clan. They got really fed up with me because I accidentally conjured a huge flame elemental, among some other things. They said my powers were going out of control. So to quell them, they kicked me out early and sent me right into a Grimoire Selection gathering. And because my mana was apparently burning so bright, it caused a Grimoire to forcibly come to me. Apparently it stabilized it or something".

"...so wait, your magic doesn't go out of control anymore right?"

"Well...I guess I will just show you!" Crimson said, opening up his Grimoire and showing it to them. That was when the two noticed it...the oddity.

"There are several written pages in this Grimoire...but..."

"Aside from three others, isn't there just one spell taking up an insanely large amount of pages?"

Yes, there were eight pages in his Grimoire devoted to a single spell.

"That is my Red Reaper! When I hold it, it gives me a whole bunch of abilities and powers to do, like Flashfire!"

Typically, when one joins the Magic Knights, they should usually at least have about half a dozen spells minimum. And that is for the lowest of the low counts. To have only four spells, even if one is super long and detailed, is an oddity.

Now that they thought about it, after bringing out the Scythe, Crimson almost never used his Grimoire.

"And look how awesome it is!" he said as he brought out the Red Reaper. it was taller then he was, but notably a different size then yesterday. "I can even change the handle and blade size to some extent, as well as the length".

_So basically..._

_...he just has one really epic spell, but then few others._

_That seems...precarious._

"What do your other spells do?"

"Well, I have Flame Sanctuary, which I used last night on our room. It will incinerate anyone not approved when I first cast it, and I only approved the two of us. The others are Spark Nova, and Mother's Warmth. The first is an attack spell, and the other is a defense and recovery spell.

"...what..."

"To have attack, defense, and recovery magic..."

"...but, dont you basically only have a single spell for each? Doesn't that mean that if someone comes up with a counter, they could easily beat that aspect of it?"

"Pretty much!"

"...you should not say that so eagerly".

"Anyways, lets go with the tour".

And so the montage began.

"This is the dining room" she said as she put plates of food down in front of them, with Charmy eating in the background.

"Yummy!"

"This is delicious!"

"I can respect people with big appetites like that!" Charmy said, giving her seal of approval.

"And this is the baths" Vanessa said, standing outside while the boys washed each other's backs. However...

"Wash mine too" a naked Yami said as he walked up to them, kinda freaking them both out.

"And then afterwards, lets fight!" a naked Luck said as he also approached them, causing them more concerns.

Meanwhile, Vanessa kept Veronia tied up with her threads outside, who had tried to infiltrate.

"And then, we have the magical beast room. its a hobby of Yami, and as the rookies, you will probably take turns feeding them" she said, as the two stared at the dark cage full of dangerous and growling beasts.

"...please tell me this room never moves..."

"It seems to be one of the few that are immune".

"Well that's good".

They watched as one of the beasts tried to reach out and claw them, being just out of reach.

"These are the training grounds" Vanessa explained, as they saw smoldering piles of rubble everywhere. "It eventually fixes itself".

"Umm..."

"I didn't know brick can be electrocuted".

And so, moving on...

"This is the common room" she explained, which had a huge hole in it from someone.

"Who did that?"

"Probably Luck, Mireal, Gauche, or Yami...probably..."

And so, the tour continued like that, until they were finally done, and met up again in the common room with their other rookies.

"I take it you just took the tour?" Colton said, appearing to be weary already. The two could guess why, their legs were about to give out.

"If it makes you feel better, at least you didn't meet all the rest of the Black Bulls as well. YOur shock was mitigated".

"There are more?!"

"Yep!" she said, as a bird flew around Ex.

"Isn't that an Anti-Bird?"

"Where did that come from?"

"I mean, that's the least weird thing that has happened so far honestly..." Ex said to himself, when the doors were flung open and Yami and another guy wearing a Black Bulls Robe showed up...in nothing but their robes. They walked right past the group like nothing was wrong...

"...erm, who was that?"

"Oh, that was Ayden. He is another member of the Black Bulls. They probably came back from gambling".

"...I see".

"Given that they lost, you guys will probably be getting a job soon".

"Eh?"

"Wait what?"

"Seriously?"

"How so?"

"Well, you get used to realizing how these things work. You will figure it out eventually".

"...wait, hold on. If Yami was out, then who was that in the baths?"

"Gray, maybe?"

"Or Yami went right after the bath".

"...so wait, it went bath then gambling?"

"Like I said, you will get used to it. Though I suppose it could have been Gray".

"Our first mission...I wonder what it will be..."

* * *

"Hey boss! Hey boss!" a large man said as he ran through an underground tunnel, opening the door to a small fourteen year old boy. He looked at the man with annoyance.

"Why are you bothering me?"

"Well, you wanted me to let you know, when it was time".

A smile crept up on his face, one of sinister nature.

"Ohhh, so your saying..."

"Yeah...the target has arrived!"

"Well then" the boy said, grabbing his Grimoire that had a bloodstain on it. "Lets go get it".

* * *

So, I got almost no decisive replies on my earlier question for this part... .

So, here we go again!

**Post Chapter Report.**

A strange Anti-Bird has appeared.

I kept most of the original Black Bulls as is for various reasons, such as them being irreplaceable and far too lovable.

Ex and Crimson are roommates.

Crimson sleeps in the nude, and can be very oblivious and innocent (and a bit pushy).

Yami lost at gambling (again).

Ex contacted a mysterious entity in his dreams.

Ex gets shy easily.

Colton got very confused by the Black Bulls Base.

Black Bulls introduced.

Ex, Colt, Naeva, and Crimson survived their encounters with Mireal.

Ex revealed his Counterforce spell.

An ominous event is approaching!


	4. Chapter 4: First Battle

**Chapter 4: First Battle**

"Hey, well what do you know" an obnoxious sounding man said as he watched the boy walk into the meeting hall. "Look who finally decided to grace us with his presence".

"You should not talk to the boss so shamefully" a more refined sounding man in a top hat and tuxedo said, standing with a cane. "He is the one that has hired us, after all".

"Kekekekeke" a woman chuckled as she examined a potion. "You all sound so annoying".

"Now now. Crasza, Rohen, Glycia. You should understand what is at stake. This will be a great strike against the Clover Kingdom, and the crimes it lets happen that made people suffer. And, the best part, is that we will get rich doing so".

"A wonder idea, boss" Rohen mentioned. "Doing something honorable and richous, while also profiting, is something truly glorious".

"I just want to murder some annoying jerks who dont mean anything" Crasza added. "These Clover Kingdom nobles think they are so great just because they are born great, so seeing them suffer is especially fun!"

"So long as I get paid properly, I don't mind doing anything. Though, some things are more expensive then others".

"Yes yes" the boy, Axris, mentioned as he held his Grimoire. "Just remember, dont do anything stupid or unnecessary. If we go outside of our desires and invoke additional wraith, some annoying people will probably show up".

"Heh. Annoying huh? Sounds dull".

"Indeed. We should not invoke more wraith then what is necessary. As expected of boss".

"At least I got hired by someone who has brains this time".

"Well then, lets get moving" he said, as the group moved out.

* * *

"...so, why are we doing this?" Ex asked as he rode his own broom, holding on with two hands tightly with Crimson riding on the back, while Naeva and Colton rode on their own brooms. Along with them was Kareem Obsidian, who looked a bit expressionless, and a bit annoyed.

"Because Finral gave the responsibility to Mireal, who then shoved it on me, and then everyone else had run off before I could" Kareem responded.

"...no, I mean, why do I have to ride a broom?" Ex clarified, as he was perfectly capable of flight on his own.

"Because Crimson is your roommate, and someone has to carry him since he isn't good at ridding brooms".

"Haha...yeah, I once crashed a broom with training rods!"

"How can you say that so happily and optimistically?"

"However, I would like better clarification as to what this quest is" Colton added.

"Simply put, they want us to hunt some creatures that have wandered too close to town".

"Creatures?"

"Basically, bears".

"...should magic knights really be spending time doing this?"

"Well, I suppose bears could be dangerous for normal people, so its probably a good idea".

"By the way...Ex, you look like your barely holding on over there" Naeva added.

"...im not used to brooms, I usually fly solo...this thing is a pain to balance, especially when I am carrying another person".

"Here, I will hold tighter so its easier!" Crimson declared, wrapping his arms around Ex.

"...this is not making it easier at all! Dont shift around mid flight!"

As that commotion was going on, a huge explosion was seen up ahead.

"Ummm, did the bears happen to somehow have explosive magic?"

"No, they didn't" Kareem mentioned. "Everyone, prepare for combat".

"Understood!"

As they got their Grimoires out, suddenly a tree suddenly shot roots out at all of them, restraining Colton and Naeva, and knocking Kareem, Crimson, and Ex out of the sky.

"Force Enchant: Winged Boots!"

Suddenly, wings appeared on the side of Ex's boots and helped to stop his decent. Crimson used his scythe to slow his fall by digging it into a tree, while Kareem landed as if the fall from several stories up was nothing at all.

However, the land began to move underneath them, as rock spikes shot up and at all of them. And yet...water then shot at of them after they had dodged, attacking where they were dodging towards.

_This attacker, to do this at long range...he has real skills and abilities._

Crimson ended up getting decked by water, while Ex blocked in time with a force barrier.

"Ex, Crimson, can you still move?"

"I can".

"Im okay!" Crimson said with a smile, while a bit of blood poured down from his forehead. He did just take a hit from a tree, and then a second hit into a second tree.

"Crimson, you should rest. Ex, we should take him back and get more reinforcements from our HQ".

"What, no way! I am fine! And we cant abandon Naeva and Colton!"

"I am your superior, so do what I say".

"Kareem-sempai" Ex mentioned, flying up to him and laying his hand on his cheek, dusting some things off. "Leaving aside the fact they will just knock us down again, we are magic knights...we are heroes. We cant just run away and leave our friends and comrades in danger, can we?"

Kareem was a bit shocked. Not just because of what Ex said, but because of the expression on Ex's face. Fear. He was afraid, he knew the enemy ahead was strong. But, he was willing to stay anyways, to fight for people. It made him remember his first encounter with the captain of the Black Bulls, Yami.

_...you picked some good rookies, Captain..._

Kareem thought that to himself, as he stood up. "Just dont die then. Should I go down, or signal that we must retreat in any way, you must fall back, so that they learn what happened here at least".

"But we just cant..."

"If we were to all go down fighting, then these people would not be known, and they can keep hurting people. This is our duty...as Magic Knights".

"...understood".

Kareem then looked at the attacks made on them so far. A few more popped up, but Kareem dealt with them instantly before they had time to activate.

"It appears there are two mages, Earth and Water, at least".

"Maybe..." Ex said. "But those spells were together, weren't they?"

"If so, we are dealing with an opponent that uses two elements, which is impossible, or two mages who are perfectly in sync".

Ex looked away, holding onto his Grimoire. "Right..."

"Anyways, we need to clear the forest and get to the town. Any ideas?"

"I do!" Crimson said, getting his Scythe ready. "Lets goooo! Crimson Comet!"

* * *

"It looks like we knocked them all down properly" Rohen mentioned. "A wonderful use of your magic, Boss".

"Dont want anyone interrupting us as we pillage the vault, after all".

"Wonderful, simply wonderful, seeing those noble knights get knocked down a peg or two!" Glycia added.

As they were discussing this, suddenly a huge beam of flames seared right through the forest, forcing them to dodge in order not to be caught up in it. It lasted for a few seconds, but once it was over, they turned to see a huge scorched path that leads right to them.

"See see? I told you it would work!"

"That was...a bit intense".

"A bit? I hope we dont get scolded for annihilating a huge amount of the forest".

The three mages walked out of it and faced them.

"Hey! Dont forget about us!" Naeva called out. She and Colton were riding on top of a huge bird like monster, as Colton discarded a frozen branch.

"I suppose its time to deal with these idiots".

And that was when...

"Wait, is that...Coto?"

"Is that you..."

"Yeah, its me, Ex".

"...Ex, huh..."

Coto, who was the one leading this group, and Ex locked eyes.

"You know this guy?"

"Yeah...he has a difficult to deal with magic, and can be a bit...well...he...has bad judgement making ability..."

"I dont want to hear that from you, who gets lost in a city unless someone holds your hand!"

"Hey, I dont get lost anymore!"

"Like I would believe that!"

Ex and Coto looked at each other. The tension between them was obvious, as both had their Grimoires out.

"Flame Ice Magic: Burning Frost Spears!"

Coto cast the first spell, however...

"Wait...a dual elemental spell?!"

Ex meanwhile flew up into the air and dodged before heading right towards him.

"Fine then, lets go this way! Fusion Magic! Groundseal!"

Suddenly, everyone's shoes got sealed to the ground, as if they were fused together.

"...so that is what he meant by annoying magic".

"Fusion Magic? Seriously?!"

"Tsk. What is Ex doing, taking on the enemy boss on his own" Kareem mentioned, when suddenly he stepped back and dodged a crystal sword that flew right where his head used to be.

"I am afraid that I will be your opponent" Rohen mentioned, with a smile.

Glycia meanwhile attacked with ice, but then an ice wall deflected it, and both attacks shattered.

"Another ice user?" she stepped back, when suddenly a seal appeared and an ice spike flew up and hit her. She managed to recover and land on her feet, but it still hurt.

"It appears I have my opponent".

"Wait for me Ex!" Crimson yelled, when suddenly a large, muscular man smashed down on him with a Warhammer. He dodged just in time, and then deflected a second attack with his scythe.

"YOU WILL FACE ME NOW, PIPSQUEAK!" he shouted with vigor.

"...he is big..." Crimson remarked on the man three times taller then himself.

Naeva then tried to rush after Ex as well, but was intercepted by Crasza. "So you use magical beasts huh...well then, have fun with my magical insects! Insect Magic: Devouring Swarm!"

"Go, Beast Creation Magic: White Lemur!"

A dozen or two white lemur appears to help fend off the swarms of insects.

"Crimson Arc!"

Crimson meanwhile unloaded another attack, but his opponent was tough.

"Hahaha! Nothing can defeat my Super Enhancement Magic!"

"I wont let you stand in my way! Crimson Comet!"

Crimson then unleashed the move that let him burn down a huge section of forest, shrouding himself in flames and charging right at the muscleheaded man. However, he swung his Warhammer at top speed, with enough force to counteract it.

"I will never be defeated in a contest of strength!"

"Flashfire!"

At that point, Crimson appeared behind the man, but he was surprisingly fast and brought his weapon around to hit Crimson, knocking him away and into the dirt.

"You should just stay down, cute little boy. A wittle baby like you has no place on the battlefield".

"What...did you just call me?" Crimson asked, as a huge pillar of flame shot up into the sky, engulfing him.

"Eh?"

"I...am not...A BABY!" he shouted, as for the first time ever, Crimson appeared to be angry. His aura was so intense, even Kareem felt scared for a moment.

_The hell is with that kid...his magic is spiking out of control...wait, now that I think about it, he did mention something about that...dont tell me, this is the true form of his power?_

Behind Crimson, his aura became something that appeared to be a Dragon, holding its own Scythe. A Crimson Dragon of Death.

He shot forward towards the musclehead with extreme power, far greater then any normal magic knight, and exceeding that of Royalty even. Kareem could tell that right now, in terms of raw power alone, he exceeded the Wizard King.

Colton meanwhile was on the defensive, although...

"Ahk! Damnit!"

Glycia shouted as she triggered another trap.

Perhaps, that was where he was at his greatest. For Colton's defensive game has Glycia running circles, and constantly being wary of any traps he had placed.

Kareem meanwhile, was dealing with Rohan himself, who was far more skilled then he initially expected. Furthermore, he was getting pushed further and further away from his allies, who he had been supporting.

"Hey, old man...you are pretty good".

"Of course I am" Rohan mentioned. "After all, traitors like you...are those who I hate the most".

"Traitors...wait, you dont..."

"Don't think that forged altercation can fool me. Your Grimoire may appear to have the Clover Kingdom's mark, but I can tell very easily you are a traitor of the Diamond Kingdom".

Kareem used his shadows to block as another sword came at him.

"Wait...this magic, could it be..."

That was when Rohan showed him, a Silver Grimoire, only he took away the illusion on it, showing a different design. It was one Kareem had known...after all, it belonged to his handler. He had only seen him once, since they mainly communicated secretly through letters and deadrops.

"What are you..."

"After you ran away to the Clover Kingdom, they declared the rest of us traitors, and so those of us who did not run were executed for failing to notice your behaviors. Your act of dishonor tarnished the rest of us, so now I shall do what any noble gentleman should, and be rid of riffraff like you".

"Tsk..."

Kareem knew this was bad. In terms of power, anyone who reached a position to be in charge of others was strong, and since Kareem himself never reached his position, that meant this man was stronger then himself. Kareem felt like he should run. No, he had to run. This man was stronger then him, and he was going to die if he fought him.

"Now, you will fall!"

Kareem deflected the attack with shadows, but one of the blades got by and cut his cheek.

"What is so wrong with no longer wanting to kill people?!" Kareem shouted, as he took a step back. In truth, Kareem was not that brave. He would rather run away then die. He had a healthy respect for living and life after all.

"Then you should have taken your own life, not dragged down everyone else with you!"

That was when he launched an even larger, more powerful attack. Kareem tried to block it all, but a number of attacks went past his defenses and right at him.

_Damnit...sorry guys...just please realize I went down...and escape..._

And so the attacks hit him...but then they were all blown away, and Rohan knocked down, by a powerful shockwave that emanated from Kareem.

"What the..." Kareem mentioned, when he remembered earlier about how Ex had touched his cheek. He felt it, and there was a faint trace of mana there, Ex's mana.

_At that time...did he cast a protection spell? I never sensed anything though...his Grimoire never glowed...so then, it was a natural application of his abilities?_

Kareem couldn't help but think of that, but then was reminded of something else. Right before they left, he had asked Yami if it was really a good idea for him to look after the rookies.

"ARe you sure this is a good idea?"

"Yeah, I would think you are the best one to look after them for their first mission" Yami mentioned. "You can deal with anything problematic that threatens them, so do exactly what I said, and put that crazy magic of yours to good use".

Focusing back on the battle at hand, Kareem chuckled to himself, which surprised Rohan.

"Damn, I was so distracted by this sudden turn of events, I totally forgot what I was supposed to be doing" Kareem mentioned, as his summoned forth his mana. "As their Sempai, I should be protecting them, not the other way around. Shadow Magic: Shadow Attack Puppets".

Suddenly, several humanoid shadows appeared, all holding shadow weapons.

"What the...this magic..."

"Yeah. Its a new spell I gained after joining the Black Bulls. An assassin would never need something like an attack force, and doing my job right meant never needing a distraction either. In terms of assassination ability, you are far superior to me...but, I am not fighting this battle as an assassin. I am a Magic Knight, and I will protect my juniors, and the people!"

"You have gotten a bit more chatty!"

_No...I just finally have comrades who I can talk and open up to..._

And so, Kareem decided to go all out, even if it meant risking his life.

* * *

Meanwhile, Ex and Coto ended up in a nearby clearing, far away and a bit above where the others were.

"Hey, Coto" Ex said, as they stopped their fight for a moment. "What exactly was the purpose of bringing us here?"

"Isn't it obvious" Coto said with a smile. "If your using that name, then I am guessing you are using that guy's magic".

"Well, I am Ex" Ex replied, as his Grimoire changed from the Force Grimoire to the white Grimoire with various wing and feather imagery and decoration on it.

"Right, right...anyways, I figured you wouldn't go all out right in front of them right? I thought that would be a bit boring".

"...didn't you come here with some sort of agenda? I know you too well to think you would engage in random acts of violence. After all that happened".

"More like, what happened to you? Joining the Magic Knights? How can you seriously trust them?"

"I simply chose this path to go about my dreams...I will achieve my dreams".

Coto narrowed his eyes.

"So, your serious then?"

Suddenly, a pair of white feathered wings appeared on Ex's back, creating a gust of wind that nearly blew Coto away.

"I see...well then...I suppose I will have to beat some sense into you".

"Angel Feather!"

Ex shot multiple feathers at Coto.

"Windstorm Barrier!"

And yet, Coto deflected them all.

The two then excahgned magics back and forth, Coto with various magics fused into his Grimoire. That was why he could use so many elements, he had fused the magic into his Grimoire and made it even more powerful.

"This is quite a bit of power...but knowing you, you probably hunted down some scum for it right?"

"After all we went through, do you even need to ask? But the true mastermind, the Clover Kingdom, has yet to be punished!"

"You intend to punish a whole kingdom?! There is no proof!"

"But you think so too! I can see it in your eyes!"

"Still..."

The magic volleys at each other grew only more intense. Between Coto launching a series of different elemental attacks, to Ex utilizing a variety of Force and Angel spells, the shockwaves were staggering. And yet, while it appeared to be a stalemate...Ex was the one running out of stamina first.

Coto knew that he would have more stamina then him too. It had been like that since as long as he knew him.

...and yet...

"I won't...give up...I wont lose!" Ex shouted, as his magical power spiked, surprising Coto. "Force Angel Magic: Force Angel Blades Barrage!"

Suddenly, an overwhelming number of feathers and blades came at him at the same time. At first, he thought it was a combo, but then he realized Ex was dual casting.

He tried to defend, but he could not defend all of that damage, and got blasted back. It hurt, a lot, but he managed to remain conscious, while he saw Ex fall to one knee, gasping, as his white wings drooped downward.

And then, it was at that point some sort of liquid seemed to appear around Coto, as well as the others, and they got pulled away into the sky on a large, flying manta ray type thing. A young pink haired girl with a large backpack was on it, and gave him the thumbs up.

"I got the package! Its time to leave!"

"Package?" Ex muttered, as all of the enemies were recovered by that weird magic.

"Sorry Ex, looks like its time to leave! We can play later!" he shouted. "Oh yeah, by the way, I should probably let you know, Ayma survived also!"

Ex went a bit pale after hearing that.

"...Amya?"

"Yep! Try not to die when you meet her!"

"Oi oi! It would be nice and all, but please tell me you are joking! Or at least, she grew out of that! She did, right?!"

As they flew away, Coto only smile and waved, and then appeared to pray as if he was in front of a grave.

"Please tell me she wont kill me!"

* * *

Crimson meanwhile, collapsed to the ground after his prey had gotten away. At first, the others were wary to get close to him, for a variety of reasons, but...

"Awwww, he got away" Crimson pouted as he turned around. When he did though, Naeva and Colton both got embarrassed. "What?"

At that same time, Kareem made it back out of the forest and saw Crimson.

"Why is Crimson naked?"

"Eh?" Crimson said, looking down and seeing all of his clothes were gone. To be exact, he had turned them to ash when his mana spiked and he kept that up for so long. "Well...its probably fine, right?"

"Hey everyone...sorry for taking awhile to..." Ex started, as he limped back into the clearing, when he saw Crimson and got embarrassed for him. "Crimson! What happened?!"

"He incinerated his own clothes when his mana spiked".

Kareem quickly went over, and put his own cloak on Crimson, fastening it up so that he was totally covered. However, he then looked towards Ex.

"You are not much better, Ex".

Ex looked down, and saw his clothes were in tatters, barely holding on. In fact, his pants and shirt were falling apart right then and there in front of them.

"Eep!" Ex shouted, using his own cloak to cover himself out of embarrassment.

"Right...okay. Well, its not what we expected, but...congrats everyone. Mission accomplished".

"Still...I wonder what they were after? Like, why are they here? Did they even enter the town?"

"All of you can go back to base, and get changed into clean clothes and recover. Leave the investigation to me. That's an order".

""""Yes sir!"""" they all replied.

As the group split up, there was a lot on Kareem's mind. But there was one thing that he did not forget. These rookies...there seems to be more to them then first appears.

He was actually getting interested, and curious.

* * *

**Post Chapter Report:**

Crimson finally got mad.

Ex's past hinted at.

Kareem's past was revealed to some degree.

Lots of interesting magic used.

Coto retrieved a package.

The mysteries deepen!


End file.
